MOSCOW, Jan 27, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The Russian and Chinese leaders on Monday 
congratulated Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko for winning a seventh 
term in office, with Russia's Vladimir Putin saying Sunday's election showed 
he had the "undoubted" backing of the people.

Official results showed the 70-year-old autocrat winning more than 86 percent 
of the vote, drawing condemnation in the West, after having imprisoned or 
exiled all his major opponents during his three-decade rule.

The Belarusian leader has won every presidential election since 1994, in 
ballots that the opposition and rights groups say are rigged.

"Your convincing victory in the elections clearly testifies to your high 
political authority and to the undoubted support of the population for the 
state policy Belarus is pursuing," President Vladimir Putin said, according 
to the Kremlin.

"You are always a welcome and dear guest on Russian soil. As agreed, I look 
forward to seeing you soon in Moscow."

Chinese President Xi Jinping also sent a message of congratulations to 
Lukashenko, Chinese state media reported.

Beijing and Minsk have drawn closer over recent years, with Belarus -- under 
Western sanctions -- looking east to secure foreign investment.

Exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya called the election a 
"farce", while the European Union described it as a "sham".

Lukashenko, a staunch Putin ally, has carried out a ruthless crackdown on 
opponents since huge protests against him in 2020.

Rights groups say the country has jailed more than 1,200 political prisoners 
-- with around 300 released in pre-vote pardons by Lukashenko.

This time, the candidates picked to run against him campaigned in his favour, 
while Lukashenko did not take part in debates and said he was not really 
following the campaign.